As multicultural education is becoming integral to the core curriculum, teachers often implement this aspect into their courses through literature. However, standards and criteria to teach and promote active discussion about this literature are sparse. Cultural Journeys introduces pre-service and experienced teachers to the use of literature to promote active discussions that lead students to think about racial diversity. More than just an annotated list of books for children, Pamela S. Gates and Dianne L. Hall Mark provide systematic guidelines that teachers can use throughout their careers to evaluate multicultural literature for students in grades K-8. At the same time, the text leads the reader to a deeper understanding of how to use multicultural literature throughout the entire curriculum and not just during specially designated months or time periods. With the example unit plans and extensive annotated bibliography, this book is a valuable resource that pre-service teachers will utilize when they begin teaching and in-service teachers will reference repeatedly during their planning periods.

Preparing K-12 teachers to address today′s social, cultural, and critical issues using multicultural children′s books Written in an engaging style, this comprehensive text prepares K-12 teachers to address a wide range of contemporary social issues—such as violence, gender, war, terrorism, child labor, censorship, and disabilities—through multicultural children′s literature. Each chapter includes sample lessons plans designed to encourage critical and creative thinking at the elementary and secondary levels and an annotated bibliography that makes it easy for teachers and librarians to choose multicultural children books that address specific critical issues. Key Features The evolution of multicultural children′s literature is covered, including discussion of controversies and issues around its definitions and uses. Reflection Questions for the Teacher provide readers with practical techniques they can use as they prepare lessons around a given critical issue. Sample Response Lessons demonstrate how to address critical issues using multicultural literature in K-12 classrooms. An Annotated Bibliography at the end of each chapter lists specific multicultural children′s books organized around each critical issue.

This textbook is a comprehensive resource for teaching multicultural children’s literature. Providing foundational information on how and why to integrate diverse children’s literature into the classroom, this book presents a necessary historical perspective on cultural groups in the United States and context for how to teach children’s literature in a way that reflects and sustains students’ rich cultural backgrounds. The historical insights and context on diverse cultural groups at the heart of the book allow readers to deepen their understanding of why teaching about cultural diversity is necessary for effective and inclusive education. Part I offers foundational information on how to teach children’s literature in a diverse society, and Part II overviews pedagogy, resources, and guidance for teaching specific culturally and linguistically marginalized groups. Each chapter contains book recommendations, discussion questions, and additional resources for teachers. With authentic strategies and crucial background knowledge embedded in each chapter, this text is essential reading for pre-service and in-service teachers and is ideal for courses in children’s literature, literacy methods instruction, and multicultural education.

Today’s public schools represent a demographic of students that are more diverse than ever before. In turn, culturally responsive and affirming teaching practices should mirror the academic, social, and cultural needs of an ever-increasing population of diverse students. Through multicultural education students can discover the ways they are shaped by their own culture, as well as learn more about others. Multicultural education practices provide mutually beneficial dialogue between cultures, and the pedagogical practices increase learning outcomes for not just the ethnically and racially diverse, but all students who are participatory in the content. This book provides educational stakeholders with culturally relevant and affirming techniques for utilizing multicultural literature as a pedagogical tool in social studies, mathematics, science, and reading. Each chapter provides a brief summary about the selected multicultural text and also contains an instructional strategy to be used. Following this, an inquiry-based lesson is provided with supplementary materials and resources that allow for K-12 differentiation.

This book is designed to prepare K-12 preservice and inservice teachers to address the social, cultural, and critical issues of our times through the use of multicultural children's books. It will be used as a core textbook in courses on multicultural children's literature and as a supplement in courses on children's literature and social studies teaching methods. It can also be used as a supplement in courses on literacy, reading, language arts, and multicultural education.